A school in Mubende district mobilized funds from parents to construct a classroom.
Some of the major barriers to quality education in government aided schools in the project area include inadequate infrastructure as a result of limited financing, coupled with low citizen (parent) participation in decision making to ensure the quality and quantity of education services meet the set national standards. Ikula primary school has made progress in overcoming these barriers. Located in Ikula Parish, Kigando Sub county-Mubende District, the school is a host to 480 pupils, 210 of whom are female. When the Citizens Voice and Action (CVA) project was introduced to the school in 2019, the school had only 5 class rooms. Two classes were therefore conducted under trees (one in the middle of the compound and another behind a classroom block). The project community monitors led by Mr. Alex Bakunda, visited the school in November 2019 and took note of, and reported on this to the duty bearers.
According to Mr. Laban Nugwaba, the Head teacher, the school had reported the matter to the District Education Officer (DEO) in 2018 and followed it up with the support of the Chairperson of the School Management Committee. They received f no positive feedback. I was pleased when during the budget conference held in Kigando Sub County in December 2019, the monitors supported the request for more classrooms at the school”, he added.
With this support, the head teacher asked the four monitors to attend the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) meeting, which was organized in the same month. They (monitors) explained to the parents the need for the two classrooms which was overwhelmingly supported. The parents pledged to raise shillings 30,000 each to start on the foundation while waiting for the government support”, he added. By the time of the follow up visit from which this report was generated, in December 2020, shillings 1,500,000/= had been mobilized and the construction of the classroom underway. Additionally, the sub county integrated the issue in the FY 2020/21 budget. Construction is expected to commence soon.
“I would like to thank ACTADE for easing my work by supporting us to voice out our school needs. I want to thank all the monitors who have been coming to teach us on expenditure tracking and displaying accountability that has enhanced parents ‘confidence in us”. Mr. Laban Nuwagaba